Our Valentine's Day started with pink waffles. 

As a kid, I was definitely a wild baker. I was always trying to make green or blue pancakes, while my parents were a little more skeptical about their vibrant breakfast. I also didn't read directions (they limited my personal expression!) and once added the entire package of tapioca pearls to the pot-- resulting in a solid brick that I had to throw out in shame. Recipes were altered at a whim just to see if it would turn out better. I'd like to think that it made me more intuitive in the kitchen, but that came at the steep price of many weird and inedible dishes.

Those impulses are why this morning when I learned that we didn't have any food coloring for the waffles that definitely needed to pink, I picked the obvious solution: reducing red cabbage down to a natural food dye. And I'm so lucky to have someone like Evan who would take a bite of a cabbage pancake, even if it was decidedly gross. On the other hand, our pink Thai tea whipped cream was awesome and the normal waffles turned out super crisp. I'm just grateful that in my old age and wisdom, I only decided to make one colorful waffle. 

After our breakfast, we biked to Liberty Park via the charming McClelland Trail, a little urban green space that is my new favorite. I was excited to take Evan on one of the routes I've been building through the city to avoid the busy roads. We spent a few hours at the Aviary with two cameras (you could say that we're something of amateur birders). 

My favorite was watching Evan get so excited about photography, while my favorite bird was the guira cuckoo. I learned that they practice communal chick-rearing, where multiple females will lay eggs in the same nest and offspring from prior years will return to help care for the new hatch. 

I'll admit, my feelings might be influenced by our recent conversations with friends about how awesome communal living sounds and the benefits of having friends around to help raise kids. I think Evan's favorite birds were the flamingos, especially because the fluffy chicks we had seen last visit had grown into funny, awkward adolescents. 

We were also almost dive-bombed in the rainforest exhibit and Evan got teased by the hornbills, making for an eventful trip. 

We then pedaled off to the Indian restaurant where we are fast becoming regulars. A lunch buffet and a few cups of chai later, we were full enough to start dreading the ride back up the hill home. We took it slow, stopping for thrifting, Natural Grocer's, a bike shop, and the art store. 

Everything I want to say about the day feels too trite, but it's true. I just wanted to spend the day with my person and seeing him happy. I'm grateful for his curiosity, patience, and sense of humor. I love that we can get excited about the little things like seeing a heck of a lot of birds.